Kind of the same situation here. Haven't had a relaxer since May but lately I have been working out 4-5 days a week. And this 90 degrees of humidity isn't helping. I just pull my hair back in a ponytail and keep it tied up when I am working out. When I go to the gym I will put conditioner in my hair while sitting in the sauna too. It feels soft when I rinse it out in the shower. I swim at the gym too so that makes my hair even harder sometimes. That's probably the only time I deep condition.

Hi Ladies,
For the past month, I've started a vigorous workout regiment; 5-6 days a week for 60 minutes and 2 days with a personal trainer. My hair so doesn't like this plan. It's dry, brittle and shedding. My last relaxer was in May (not planning on another one). I need suggestions as to what to do before and after my workouts.

slather your hair in a conditioner before you begin working out... then rinse out immediately after working out.. then wash again with conditioner only ( no shampoo at all)... style as usual...

Good advice. I would add only to shampoo every third day.

If you use heavy styling products use a "purifying" shampoo once a month. I like the one made by Hair Rules.

I see lots of suggestions for "natural" ladies, any relaxed ladies have anything to offer......

That's interesting, I hadn't noticed. I haven't relaxed my hair for years but I tried to:

--Treat it as gently as possible.
--Relax it only to provide control against frizz.
--Never blow dry it, instead I wore a wash and wear style.
--Trim the split ends frequently.
--Relax rarely, sometimes I went for a nine month or a year without a relaxer.
--Make sure the stylist understood that I did not want my hair relaxed stick straight. The one I used mixed the relaxer specially to make it super mild. She also only did half my head at a time because I have a lot of hair and if she'd did the whole head at one go the part where started would have been over-relaxed by the time she finished. It also helps if the stylist has an assistant.

I see lots of suggestions for "natural" ladies, any relaxed ladies have anything to offer......

That's interesting, I hadn't noticed. I haven't relaxed my hair for years but I tried to:

--Treat it as gently as possible.
--Relax it only to provide control against frizz.
--Never blow dry it, instead I wore a wash and wear style.
--Trim the split ends frequently.
--Relax rarely, sometimes I went for a nine month or a year without a relaxer.
--Make sure the stylist understood that I did not want my hair relaxed stick straight. The one I used mixed the relaxer specially to make it super mild. She also only did half my head at a time because I have a lot of hair and if she'd did the whole head at one go the part where started would have been over-relaxed by the time she finished. It also helps if the stylist has an assistant.

No offense but that still leans toward advice for the natural or transitioning. I'm def. not going 9 months without a relaxer, 9 weeks is pushing it. I do trim split ends frequently. My beautician has recommended sew ins and ponytails while I am on this weight loss journey. Not sure how I feel about weaves..............

I went natural for a year and hated it! I love running outdoors and my hair became completely unmanageable. I did not like fussing over my hair as much as I did then, and I simply did not like the look. It just wasn't for me.

I also was suggested to get sew-ins and did so twice, but after exercise, it drove me crazy how sweaty and itchy my hair got because of it, and I felt like washing my hair everyday. When I did wash it it took forever to dry. It was a hot mess. Never again.

Now, I relax my hair every three months with Mizani's sensitive relaxer. Believe it or not, their sensitive relaxer relaxed my hair just as good as their regular or coarse formula, and I have super thick hair. Even after about 2 1/2 months, my hair is still very straight, and my hair is way more manageable after exercise compared to before. Before I exercise, I use a little bit of hair conditioner and put my hair into a low or high ponytail. Sometimes I'll tie a silk scarf around my head or a simple sweatband. Most women I know wrap there hair, and wrap a scarf around it. After exercise, I pat dry my hair, and keep going. I wash my hair every two weeks and twice I sop my hair in conditioner like butter. I mainly air dry but sometimes I don't, which then I would blow dry my hair with the comb attachment (I use Mizani's wrap spray before and put Mango butter, coconut oil, or a serum after drying).

I am a big fan of half wigs, lace wigs, and u-part wigs. I love being versatile, and wearing hair pieces allow me to do so without damaging my hair. I hate the fake looking hairline as much as the next, so I blend my hair with the lace wigs I wear, and a lot of people can't tell I'm wearing one. I do wear my natural hair out, and style my hair in a low ponytail with a side part, or down with a side part. I find that with Mizani's relaxer, my hair takes very well to it, and I rarely have to put heat to my hair to maintain it, as long as I wrap my hair at night.

Bottom line: If I want to wear my natural hair out, I do. If I want to show out with an ombre wig down to my butt, I do. Either way, I refuse to let my hair deter me from exercise. There are several studies that indicate that a barrier to exercise is hair. Hair. I refuse to be a part of that statistic, and I refuse to put my hair above my health.

Great Topic op!

I see lots of suggestions for "natural" ladies, any relaxed ladies have anything to offer......

That's interesting, I hadn't noticed. I haven't relaxed my hair for years but I tried to:

--Treat it as gently as possible.
--Relax it only to provide control against frizz.
--Never blow dry it, instead I wore a wash and wear style.
--Trim the split ends frequently.
--Relax rarely, sometimes I went for a nine month or a year without a relaxer.
--Make sure the stylist understood that I did not want my hair relaxed stick straight. The one I used mixed the relaxer specially to make it super mild. She also only did half my head at a time because I have a lot of hair and if she'd did the whole head at one go the part where started would have been over-relaxed by the time she finished. It also helps if the stylist has an assistant.

No offense but that still leans toward advice for the natural or transitioning. I'm def. not going 9 months without a relaxer, 9 weeks is pushing it. I do trim split ends frequently. My beautician has recommended sew ins and ponytails while I am on this weight loss journey. Not sure how I feel about weaves..............

Whatever works for you. This treatment worked for me in the 20+ years that I had relaxed hair.

To wear a wig would feel very alien to me, same with weaves and other artificial hair. My mother once wore a wig for a few months over 40 years ago when she lost a patch of hair from stress. No other woman younger than my grandparents and great aunts ever wore a wig.

I see lots of suggestions for "natural" ladies, any relaxed ladies have anything to offer......

That's interesting, I hadn't noticed. I haven't relaxed my hair for years but I tried to:

--Treat it as gently as possible.
--Relax it only to provide control against frizz.
--Never blow dry it, instead I wore a wash and wear style.
--Trim the split ends frequently.
--Relax rarely, sometimes I went for a nine month or a year without a relaxer.
--Make sure the stylist understood that I did not want my hair relaxed stick straight. The one I used mixed the relaxer specially to make it super mild. She also only did half my head at a time because I have a lot of hair and if she'd did the whole head at one go the part where started would have been over-relaxed by the time she finished. It also helps if the stylist has an assistant.

No offense but that still leans toward advice for the natural or transitioning. I'm def. not going 9 months without a relaxer, 9 weeks is pushing it. I do trim split ends frequently. My beautician has recommended sew ins and ponytails while I am on this weight loss journey. Not sure how I feel about weaves..............

Whatever works for you. This treatment worked for me in the 20+ years that I had relaxed hair.

To wear a wig would feel very alien to me, same with weaves and other artificial hair. My mother once wore a wig for a few months over 40 years ago when she lost a patch of hair from stress. No other woman younger than my grandparents and great aunts ever wore a wig.

I used to feel the same way. I always thought that wigs were for old church ladies, and thought they looked very artificial.Wigs are definitely not what they used to be, and newer styles don't look how they used to look (e.g human hair, Remy hair, half-wigs, u-part, invisible part, lacefront full lace, curly, straight, etc.) I absolutely love wearing them, and it allows me to change it up and experiment without damaging my real hair. I also like weaves too, but they are high maintenance when I'm exercising. With wigs, it's exercise, condition hair, put on a wig, and go!

i just started my second set of locs today! using two strand twists again :happy:

Hi Ladies,
For the past month, I've started a vigorous workout regiment; 5-6 days a week for 60 minutes and 2 days with a personal trainer. My hair so doesn't like this plan. It's dry, brittle and shedding. My last relaxer was in May (not planning on another one). I need suggestions as to what to do before and after my workouts.

slather your hair in a conditioner before you begin working out... then rinse out immediately after working out.. then wash again with conditioner only ( no shampoo at all)... style as usual...

working out, 5/6 times a week and you should do the above regime everyday. That is a lot of work. Is there not something a little simpler?

thats as about as simple as I can suggest... its not that hard nor does it take lon... 30 secinds to slather on before, put it in a scarf or ponytail while you workout... 2 minites to rinse out in shower after...
the fact that you arent at least rinsing your hair out after 5-6 workouts a week may be part of the problem... all of the salt contained in your perspiration is still in your hair, helping to make it hard & brittle....

hope that helps

Okay...so I have a relaxer, and I should put conditioner in my hair before I work out, rinse it out after the workout (due to sweat and stuff) and then co-wash it afterwards. Once this is done, can I blow dry it again... and do I do this everyday, as I work out most days?